The First Commercial Space Station Segment Is Almost Done!

As the International Space Station nears its retirement date, NASA and its partners are continuing to work on a future replacement. Back in 2020, the agency picked Axiom Space, a company based in Houston to build commercial space station modules and attach them to the ISS. In the last few years, they have been busy and are making fast progress on the first segment.
Just recently we got more information on the exact progress, upcoming tests, and the expected future launch date. The plan is to consistently manufacture and launch these next-generation modules in space, attach them to this ISS one by one, and then disconnect before the ISS retires, and when the new station is fully independent. Here I will go more in-depth into the new company update, Axiom’s plan, what to expect in the coming months, and more.
Full article here - thespacebucket.com/the-first-...
For more space-related content check out - thespacebucket.com/
Credit:
SpaceX - / spacex
NASA - / @nasa
Axiom Space - / @axiomspace
Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:43 - Station Progress
3:22 - NASA's New Station

[@billthecat7536]

I wish I was 40 instead of 70. There is SO much coming in the near future that I'm going to miss. Makes me sad.

[@looseygoosey1349]

hang in there and enjoy what you can see.

[@dalel3608]

Be glad about all the advancement you saw.

[@Poe9320]

Just keep it going I believe you could hit 100 and be okay to remember and see some of the future!

[@Darsh0606]

I am under 20 right now, very nice! I can see more future

[@Poe9320]

@@Darsh0606 you might see more than I will then, I'm in my 20s

[@SteveBMayer]

Floating in that new cupola will be absolutely amazing

[@kiikaala]

Headline: "almost done" Video: pressure vessel arrives next year (it's January) from Europe, then we will build this in America. Anyway, thanks for the great video!

[@Poe9320]

I love that Axiom Space has been using the quest 2s, 3s, and pros to support their development. We need more of these massive forges though to create these parts and then we could truly move to the space age!

[@richardprice8348]

This is not N'ASA" future station. This will be a private space station, one among several.

[@nikkokp]

no offense but that’s like saying staples center isn’t the lakers home because it’s owned by another company. while true, not the whole truth @Kyplanet893 kind of like how the stadium isn’t owned by the lakers. it also does concerts, and events , (as well as the clippers another team) unrelated to the lakers . but it is still most known for being the home of the lakers. the lakers set the schedule everyone else has to follow. taylor swift can’t play if the lakers are playing

[@Kyplanet893]

@@nikkokpit’s really not, nasa doesn’t own it, it’s owned and operated by axiom space nasa is only one customer of many for this station, i could just as easily make the argument that ESA or Spacex owns it using this logic lol

[@juanrosario4841]

That NASA will be using just like ISS.. Because all the other stations are owned by our enemies who coop with the iss... And seeing as nasa has no new station in the works Axiom will be its new perm base of.operation

[@rickvisser8296]

It is a workplace that NASA can rent... but it can also be full with ESA/ISRO/JAXA depending on who gets the seats

[@nikkokp]

any company sharing a station with nasa will be playing by nasas rules.

[@CausticLemons7]

My only complaint is that it will still be in the same orbit as the ISS. Because if Russia will no longer be a participant than there are more favorable orbits for US launch sites.

[@regolith1350]

If efficient propellant use is your only goal, then yes. But there are many more considerations beyond efficiency of mass-to-orbit. One of the favorite activities for astronauts (and one of the biggest PR talking points) is looking out the cupola at the Earth below. The current orbit allows the ISS (and Axiom Station) to traverse over almost all of the populated surface of the Earth. Almost any visitor from any country can look out and, with the right timing, see his/her own country down below. You get a tremendous variety of landscapes to observe. The PR and outreach impact of this should not be dismissed. Now imagine an orbit designed purely for maximum propellant efficiency - an equatorial orbit. You would see the Amazon jungle, followed by thousands of miles of the Atlantic Ocean, followed by equatorial Africa, followed by thousands of miles of the Indian Ocean (the southern tip of India would be visible), followed by Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, northern Australia, followed by thousands of miles of the Pacific Ocean, and back to the Amazon jungle. That is all you would ever see. You would never see North America, Europe, and the vast majority of Asia. You would never see the Aurora. Ever. Obviously this issue would be less severe with a low/mid latitude launch from the US, but you get the idea. The point is there's more to consider than just efficiency.

[@CausticLemons7]

@@regolith1350 Obviously, but there are more efficient orbits that still provide other benefits. The current ISS inclination was chosen primarily because it's the lowest possible for Baikonur launches without flying over China. This is no longer a consideration.

[@SebastianWellsTL]

Thank you for the update! I was curious about the progress of this new space station. It's good to hear things are going well!

[@michaelbowers7400]

That Neat that different adventure of space mowtel repair Space Port Station ,Outter Space wow ,cool season greeting 2023&2024 season .Have good day.

[@clarencehopkins7832]

Excellent stuff bro

[@georgejenkins8063]

Thanks So Very Much !! I maxed out at 5 views... Very professional Voice-over and Stellar Video contact !! Already a Sub... but will be paying closer attention in the future !! Sir, Tks... GSJ...!!

[@antonnym214]

Very nice reporting on this. Thank you! Hyper interesting reporting here with excellent graphics. I would love it if they would use Alon for the windows, as it is far, far more durable than any other clear material they could install. Two inches of it will stop a 50 calibre round. Perfect for those micrometeoroids. Yes, it is more expensive, but when you're talking about human safety in orbit, you really need to budget for that.

[@billthecat7536]

A 50 cal bullet doesn't travel at 17K+ miles per hour. Just sayin'. 😉

[@MichaelWinter-ss6lx]

Talking about next-gen' Space Stations.

[@AbeDillon]

Engineers tend to work within many simultaneous constraints not just "stronger is better"

[@MrCateagle]

IMHO, the ISS should be boosted to a higher orbit and maintained as a museum as well as a research facility while new stations pick up the majority of the orbital workload. If the ISS is destroyed, the external turns and solar arrays should be reused for an orbital tank farm supporting refueling for flights to the moon, Mars, and elsewhere.

[@georgejenkins8063]

Sir/Ma'am... You actually owe me 3 " Thanks for Watching ".... as so far I've watched it 3 times... Great Stuff !! More views in my future !! Thanks...!!

[@georgejenkins8063]

Working on number #4...!! True Story. ..!!

[@regolith1350]

It would be great if Axiom can reuse part of the ISS. The current plan is for Axiom to incrementally add on to the "front" of the ISS and then disconnect when the time comes. But what if, instead of disconnecting just the Axiom-built modules, they instead disconnect between the Harmony module (Node 2) and Destiny module (the US Lab portion)? Destiny is not a good candidate for reuse because it's one of the oldest modules and probably won't have much life left by 2030, but also because that's where the giant truss structure (which holds the ISS solar panels) is attached. But everything forward of Destiny is significantly younger and can be disconnected together as a single piece, without having to juggle modules around. This forward portion includes Harmony (Node 2), and connected to it are the European Columbus module and the Japanese Kibo module, the "attic" storage module, and the Japanese external payload platform. I'm sure there are many in Japan and Europe who would love to continue making use of their sizable investment for at least a few more years.

[@davidstevenson9517]

Perhaps those modules and truss will be past their "use by" date i.e. worn out, technically outdated, design outmoded etc?

[@regolith1350]

@@davidstevenson9517 That's why I specifically ruled out keeping the older modules like Destiny, and you definitely can't reuse the Truss.

[@jv-lk7bc]

@@regolith1350 why can't they reuse the truss? and solar panels?

[@matthewmolina9485]

Very nice. 👍🏽 You did not touch on self-propulsion? Will it not be constantly falling?

[@dissaid]

Thanks Man..😎😎😎

[@100c0c]

How does this compare to the Chinese Space Station? After it's separated from the ISS and finished?

[@martythemartian99]

3:13 You mention the Viewing Platform is moved to Axiom Hab One, but the video shows it being moves to Hab Two. Do the Habs have their positions reversed, is it moved a second time to Hab One, or were plans changed after the computer simulation was made? 😵‍💫

[@u1zha]

Cool! Any conversations already about what spacecraft will provide orbit raising capability?

[@kastenolsen9577]

A good book on how to frugally colonize our solar system is Second Exodus Colony. Located at the Internet Archives. Read and learn. Free to pass along 😊😊😊

[@davidstevenson9517]

With THAT title, no. Anyway, We intend to UTILIZE our Solar System, not colonize it. Earth is perfect for us and besides, 100 years from now our population will be reduced to about 3 billion (Peaking at 9 Bill. 2045; passed 8 Bill. 2022). AI will HAVE to do most of the work for us, both out there in Space and down here at Home. If you want colonization, read "The High Frontier" by Gerard K. O'Neill (1977). I read it in 1979, aged 16, courtesy of my Public Library, here in New Zealand. Dr O'Neill showed what we could achieve by simply utilizing our Moon, just next door, a mere stone throw away.

[@donaldhouse7597]

Looks like fun to me

[@ristube3319]

2:49 Something I thought was going to be done about coupala glass, was transparent aluminum. Because of its bulletproof strength, perfect clarity, and more reasons.

[@morganoverbay8783]

Scotty hasn't invented it yet...

[@antonberkbigler5759]

It was already patented when the movie came out, which isn’t surprising because rubies are made of aluminum :/ it’s not actually as mind blowing as something like transparent steel would be. Or transparent titanium, that would be cool.

[@matthewakian2]

Thanks as ever for posting. Have they announced watch launch vehicle will take the segments up to the ISS?

[@looseygoosey1349]

My guess would be space x. I wouldn't use any other because the safest most reliable is Space X

[@jasii7206]

God I am worried for those astronauts. That little space would drive me crazy if I had to be in there for more then 30 days.

[@801walt]

My hypothesis is the first working private orbital habitat will be a movie set.

[@kypickle8252]

why do you keep saying things are nasa's when they arent i get it gets more views but the title could at least be accurate

[@fitnesstop112]

NASA funds some of these projects with contracts, so in a way it is NASA's.

[@kypickle8252]

@@fitnesstop112 nasa doesn’t own it, doesn’t matter if they pay for *some* of it (because they don’t pay for all of it either)

[@kypickle8252]

@@fitnesstop112 nasa still doesn’t own it, it’s owned and operated by axiom space (sorry if you see this comment twice my reply doesn’t seem to be loading)

[@filonin2]

@@kypickle8252 Who is the project for? You are splitting hairs over nothing. This isn't clickbait; you are a crybaby.

[@kypickle8252]

@@filonin2 the project is for anyone who can purchase a ticket for the station And i dont see how im a crybaby, and I did not say this was clickbait. I just want an accurate title, which has happened, since it looks like the title of this video has been changed to be more accurate. I'm not angry, and I dont really understand why youre insulting me right now

[@michaeldemarco9950]

If I were them, I would never let the ISS go as they add their modules with experimentation that kind of stuff they could let the Russian modules go but keep the international side of the station and you don’t like all the wires and everything all over the place in there they can transition all of the instrumentation into their modules and turn the original ISS modules into like living quarters and stuff you know with the living racks and stuff things that don’t require a lot of wires and everything so it would be more livable space.

[@gregoryfaith4303]

The only advice that I can offer up during the design and build stage of anything people will be living in on orbit is not to "bury" pipes, ventilation, waste management, cables or anything that needs access to if a micrometeorite impacts that part of a space station.

[@odysseusrex5908]

1:30 How is a space station module built in Italy actually built in Houston? I think its terrific, for Thales Alenia and Italy that they have come to dominate the space station market. Exactly one module of the ISS was actually built in the United States. Most of the rest were built by Thales. I really, really wish however, that the US would step up and start competing in this market. There was a time when launch services and rocket construction were utterly dominated by Europe and Russia. SpaceX knocked them both off their pedestals. I wish some upcoming uostart would do the same in space stations.

[@davidstevenson9517]

Don't forget the first two ISS modules are Russian owned and built and Japans' modules are also of indigenous design and construction. Love the Thales Alenia lunar surface module; a space station module with legs and wee steps up to the airlock. Great little outposts for Artemis crews. (Re: TheSpaceBucket)

[@mgoldbeck1111]

Since living in microgravity is so hard on the human body, it seems rather short-sighted to create another space station without artificial gravity (i.e. a rotating wheel design, etc.).

[@humanform5354]

Was thinking the same thing. As a private entity, why not change the way things are done?...

[@davidstevenson9517]

Rotating wheel design is very expensive and requires scaled development, very time consuming. (Also known as "Clarke" design after Arthur C. Clarke, creator, who is also credited with geosynchronous orbit, aka "Clarke Orbit", who also wrote the screenplay for "2001: A Space Odessy" with that beautiful Wheel Station rolling through LEO).

[@stijill]

I just subscribed to this channel. I like it because it’s really short, but frequent. Scott’s and Spaceflights updates have gotten too long.

[@USAman_texas12]

In the future, lots of civilians from the US, EU, or Asia can go on the station. One day I might go on the space station.

[@SS-be1mr]

Great! That's all we need, Primark in space.. 😂

[@matthewjacobs141]

It seems Inflatables are being ruled out...I wonder why?

[@davidstevenson9517]

Not necessarily; Axiom Station will be expanded upon separation so who knows? Possibly Axiom opted to use an existing module concept by an experienced manufacturer; let Sierra Space do all the spadework. Axiom Station must "leave the nest" by 2029, after all.

[@Steven_Edwards]

Its a shame they couldn't find a domestic source to do the welding for the pressure vessel.

[@user-bx8zh2xc2z]

Quite informative, but is there any info on how the Axiom plans to avoid cross contamination from ISS? And second, is there more info on propulsion system? Will it be integrated in station modules or they plan to use spacecrafts like cygnus or spacex? Cheers

[@you2be839]

But what's wrong with the ISS to de-orbit it in 2030? 6 years is going to go by crazy fast... and all the work and money and effort to put all that stuff up there should have been planned to be serviceable for at least 50 years, especially considering that it took over 10 years just to fully assemble it!...

[@ThouSirKingsly]

Why don't space stations create universal modules with docks at the end in any direction, so they could cheaply develop and manufacture massive space stations then cheaply launch them on falcon 9s.

[@davidstevenson9517]

Standardized modules will be possible once we get past the development stage and can work on module prototypes with confidence. Space station modules average 20 tonnes in weight and 4.5 metres in diameter, far too heavy and large for SPX Falcon 9 or Heavy (both limited to 10 tonne/3.5 diam. max. to LEO) Until recently, only Proton, Atlas 5, Delta IV and CZ-5 could launch modules that size. Gone, now, are Atlas 5 and Delta IV but Vulcan (27tn) has joined "The Space Station Club" and New Glenn (35tn) is only months away from earning membership. We'll get there.

[@rickysickles1429]

Just slow boat the ISSthe lunar orbit . It can be done if they want too. That would take care of the Artemis station issue

[@billtrevino2539]

I visited Axion Space last July! Seriously smart folks are making this happen, and the tour was a blast! My good friend works there - very cool to observe all of this from afar!!! 😊😊😊

[@davidstevenson9517]

Lucky you! Hello from New Zealand, a very long way from Axiom Space (or anywhere, really...)

[@aprilpower1158]

This won't be the first. Vast's space station will be the first.

[@42pirhanas]

Being “almost done” is another way of saying it isn’t done, i.e., it’s delayed.

[@thedarkmoon2341]

There will be no zenith facing windows anywhere on the new station, just as there are none on the existing one. No chance I'll ever get to see the unblinking glory of the Heavens with zero atmospheric interference.

[@NoResultFound]

They really need to not build it off of the ISS because its orbital path is AWFUL for US based launches.

[@kevinmcgovern5110]

Agreed. Let the Russians spend 30 hours to get to the damn thing!

[@davidstevenson9517]

A space tug could shunt Axiom Station into a more U.S. friendly orbit upon separation. ULAs Centaur 5 will have a orbital re-fuelling capability i.e. to remain in orbit after launch, refuelled (by what?) and put to work as a improvised space tug; to shunt payloads, that are launched separately, to higher orbits (watch that one!). Another company(?) is designing a purpose-built space tug to rendezvous with satellites for refueling and/or shunting (re: TheSpaceBucket). And the National Team have their Cislunar Transport for Blue Moon/GATEWAY/Artemis operations; a space tug, of sorts (unsuitable for Axiom). So there are 1 or 2 space tugs becoming availiable for Axiom Station to move to a new, more U.S. friendly neighbourhood.

[@trugssgogorf6371]

"Almost done"

[@wdd3141]

A lot of information. Unfortunately the video is so fast paced, it's hard to keep up with it. Can you imagine if Walter Kronkite had to talk that fast on TV's "The 21st Century? The series would never have succeeded.

[@magnusoptimus2052]

So when the welds fail, we blame Italy right? More $$$$'s heading overseas that SHOULD be spent in the U.S. .

[@jolinar.setesh]

ESA Spacestation

[@Dokuo1000]

Buy N Large space station

[@williamfowler616]

Musk will be able to launch space station size ships into orbit and then bring them back down for refit and cleaning. why make a permanent station like this that is a throw away concept? first thing to launch will be a hub ship.

[@zachb1706]

SpaceX did put out a proposal to use a Starship as a Space Station, but they didn’t really put much effort into it - it was a throw in the dark. The biggest downsides are modularity for later expansion and of course the massive engines and fuel tanks which are just a waste. What Starship will be great at is launching massive modules, ones we’ve never seen before. Like Airbus’s LOOP - the largest non inflated module, or Siera Space’s LIFE 3.0 module, which’ll have an interior space of 5000m^2 (5x the volume of the ISS!)

[@marksadventures3889]

Why is this so tiny? You're never going to get city sized craft in my life time, major bummer! I wanted to see Star Trek style craft in my life time. That's never going to happen at this speed

[@davidstevenson9517]

Life is so short! Imagine how I feel; I've followed Spaceflight since I was 6 years old and now I'm 61!

[@radu808]

.... soooo is a bit of a update ISS ..... super disappointed with the progress and time taken

[@patricktrue2029]

*** DEEP SPACE TRANSIT TIME REDUCTION SCHEME *** Immediately begin the development of a "Port Tug Accelerator" space craft (featuring nuclear powered engines designed PUSH items to high velocities quickly). This specialized space craft will be used to PUSH (accelerate) any spaceship toward its deep space destination! The Port Tug Accelerator craft will push any deep space bound space ship only for a short distance and then let the deep space bound space ship glide to its destination with the high velocity provided by the Port Tug Accelerator craft. Place one Port Tug Accelerator craft stationed in lunar orbit until needed, and place a second Port Tug Accelerator craft in Mars orbit for Earth Return Trip velocity assists. This high speed accelerator system will reduce space ship fuel requirements and reduce travel time in space. (Thanks for your considerations and for sharing this concept!)

[@Thesandchief]

reciting Qur'an in the observation cupola would be awesome

[@_ShaDynasty]

They should just keep adding to the iss until it becomes too large and starts affecting the earth's orbit and then all available resources are allocated to send it on a trajectory to deep space.

[@silviaalexandrecordeiro8400]

🤔🌎🌍🌏⭐

[@czarcastic1458]

HAHA PFFT.

[@tanagra2]

What is the purpose of the ISS? You just have a bunch of bored people sitting there because let’s face it they ran out of experiments to do 15 years ago.

[@IainHC1]

Can you please NOT use robots to narrate your video's!! These robots really detach the connection between us humans and the subjects you are trying to show us!!

[@filonin2]

He didn't. That's his voice. Get used to it or leave.

[@filonin2]

The irony of complaining about detachment from humans while failing to recognize a human.

[@IainHC1]

That was no human!@@filonin2

[@outbacktrek]